1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to location estimation in wireless communication, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for estimating a location of a user equipment (UE) in a wireless network.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
An assisted global positioning system (A-GPS) is a satellite-based positioning system that can under certain conditions (mostly, when a data link with a server is established) improve a GPS startup speed and reduce time to first fix (TTTF) (which is a time taken to fix a data link with an artificial satellite). An A-GPS is mainly used in a user equipment (UE) (e.g., a cellular phone or a smart phone) having a built-in GPS and was developed by Federal Communications Commission in order to transmit location information during 911 emergency calls.
A UE can support location information to a user via A-GPS technologies. A-GPS technologies are location information service technologies that are mainly used in 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) standard and currently provide many services to subscribers. In simpler terms, the UE receives GPS (which corresponds to A-GNSS in terms of 3GPP) satellite information and transmits or receives location related information of a base station (BS) based on the GPS satellite information to receive accurate location information through a server that manages location information of the BS.
A-GPS technologies have been already used to provide more accurate location information using information received by a UE from a GPS via communication with a server that manages location information of a BS. Recently, A-GPS technologies have been mainly used in fields of wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) of 3GPP standard or code division multiple access (CDMA) of 3GPP2 standard. In areas where UEs cannot easily receive location information, locations are estimated using satellite information alone, which is disadvantageously less accurate than A-GPS technologies. In addition, time required to acquire location information may be changed according to an area.
From the Cold War with the Soviet Union, the United States launched many artificial satellites out of the earth in order to spy upon the Soviet Union. These satellites periodically transmit location information to the earth at a specific frequency. When a UE receives location information to estimate a location, errors corresponding to several hundred meters may be experienced. Accordingly, for more accurate estimation and error reduction, a UE accesses a location information server of a BS using information received from a GPS to obtain a more accurate location, which is called A-GPS technologies. In general, an error range is reduced within several meters even if accuracy is changed according to a location of a UE within an area managed by a BS.
However, according to these technologies, problems arise in terms of location acquisition when a UE fails to receive GPS signals. Of course, when the UE is located in a building, the UE can receive GPS signals through antennas installed outdoors. However, currently, this reception is significantly limited, and thus, many problems arise in areas where GPS signals cannot be received, such as indoors or underground. In this case, it is very difficult to acquire accurate location information by the UE in reality. In this regard, detailed solutions to these problems have not yet been to be proposed.